Lionfish killed at Perdido Pass, first sighting close to the beach

This is the first lionfish found near the shoreline in Alabama. It was speared Saturday afternoon in about 14 feet of water. A jab from the venomous spines can send a person to the hospital. Swimmers should be wary around structure in the Gulf or coastal bays. Lionfish are almost always found hugging some type of structure, including piers, rocks, and wrecks. (Ben Raines/braines@al.com) Ben Raines | braines@al.com

The lionfish invasion continues.

I shot a small lionfish Saturday afternoon during a scuba dive along the jetties at Perdido Pass in Orange Beach.

State biologists said it was the first confirmed sighting they knew of in shallow water along the Alabama Coast.

The lionfish was holding against a large boulder in about 14 feet of water. Since their arrival in the Gulf about two years ago, the fish have become increasingly common along the reefs and wrecks five to 15 miles offshore. Scientists said it was only a matter of time before they showed up near shore.

I've seen lionfish on every dive I've made since August. In once case, I found five living on the wreck of a small tug boat in about 60 feet of water. I also found one living amongst the roots of one of the trees in the underwater cypress forest off Fort Morgan.

Bob Shipp, head of marine sciences at the University of South Alabama, said the discovery of a lionfish so close to shore signals a new and worrisome development in the spread of the species.

"Wow. I think this is
just the beginning. I suspect within the next decade red lionfish will be as
plentiful on our jetties and nearshore hard bottom as our native
scorpionfishes or seabasses," Shipp said. "But of course, they will be much more evident
because of the gaudy regalia. Our local chefs need to gin up some tasty
lionfish entrees, and our local fishmongers need to become adept at handling
those venomous spines."

Lionfish are native to the Pacific Ocean. They were discovered in deepwater along the North Carolina coast around 2002. Over the last decade, the creatures have spread throughout the Caribbean and the Florida Keys.

This large lionfish, about a foot long, was found nestled in the roots of an ancient cypress tree off the Alabama coast. Since their arrival two years ago, lionfish have spread quickly. I saw lionfish on every dive made between August and December this year. (Ben Raines/braines@al.com)Ben Raines | braines@al.com

"We have no way of knowing what kind of impact they may have
at this point. They don't have any natural predators that we know of," said Karon Aplin, a biologist with the Alabama Division of Marine Resources. In the Caribbean, lionfish are believed to have reduced some native fish populations by 50 to 75 percent on coral reefs.

"They eat anything they
can fit in their mouth. Fish, shrimp, whatever. They're eating machines. They hang out around their
structure and they eat. That's the majority of their activity," Aplin said. "They are tasty. They've got a nice, fine white meat."

I cooked one over the summer. It was delicious. But, cleaning a lionfish is a little trickier than cleaning most fish. A jab from the venomous spines can mean a trip to the hospital. Watch the video here for a primer on how to clean one.

The arrival of the creatures in shallow water means swimmers should be on the lookout. Lionfish are almost always found close to structure, so be careful around piers, rocks, or sunken wrecks.

"I have gotten reports of lionfish that turned out to be sea
robins or other species. Watch out for that identity crisis," Aplin said, referring to a few native species that have long fins.